So today I have been writing an essay for my Uni course, which I began through the NCT where I volunteer for my local branch. I have been at a meeting at Medway hospital about breastfeeding, because I am a volunteer peer supporter and help mums in drop in groups and on hospital wards. I came home and did the “mum thing” for a few hours, and am now working on both the NCT volunteering and writing emails about the Peer support volunteering.
It has got me thinking.
I love to help people, I really do and it is not all selfless either. I get a kick out of knowing I might have changed someone’s breastfeeding, or parenting journey for the better. The work I have done through the Medway Breastfeeding Network has been rewarding and educational. But I feel there is a point when you must ask yourself, how much can I give?
Now, in an ideal world, I would not need to give any. There would be enough “proper” support from health professionals, from the NHS and other government bodies. But there is not.
In another ideal world I would be able to give ALL my time. If money was no object and the bills paid themselves I would quite happily spend hours on end on the postnatal ward telling mums that just because their 2 hour old baby has not fed yet it does not mean they don’t have any milk. But that is not the case either.
So there is a fine balance to be found, I want to help, but can’t really afford to help for free. So, I try to find a paid job in the area I am interested in. But sadly, they either need more training or qualifications than I have (which cost time and money to get) or the “people on high” don’t advertise jobs because they have volunteers to do it for them!
Going round in circles a bit here eh! Where does it end?
If every volunteer stopped tomorrow, what would happen? Would cancer wards not have people in to sit with terminal patients? Would breastfeeding mums get no one to one support with a person trained to give that information? Would cats and dogs homes have to close because they had no food, blankets or medicine for the animals? Would the homeless still get their hot soup on a freezing winters night?
The answer I fear sadly, is that the wards would be emptier, that mums would go home with no support, there would be nowhere for the animals to go and the homeless would go hungry again.
We live in a society where we rely on volunteers for so much and it seems impossible that that will ever change. So while I battle my own personal decisions, take a moment to think about if there is anyone you know who helps others for nothing, out of the kindness of their hearts. Is there someone who has helped you? If so, thank them. They will be grateful, they really will.
